Chance, a 5-foot-5, 169-pound junior Western Michigan University running back, said he always admired the former NFL running back growing up.

Smith, a longtime running back with the Dallas Cowboys, was undersized himself at 5-9 but a strong work ethic helped him reach a historic milestone when he became the NFL’s all-time rushing leader with 18,355.

“He’s my favorite running back,” Chance said with a smile as he answered questions in a small conference room in the Radisson Plaza downtown. “I really love him. I always heard him say, ‘I was never the biggest, fastest or strongest guy.’”

Chance had a few minutes to relax and enjoy the spotlight during Western Michigan’s weekly press conference on Tuesday after running for a career-best 144 yards and a touchdown on 29 carries in a 28-23 loss at Minnesota on Saturday.

The total was the highest mark ever put up by a WMU running back against a Big Ten opponent. The individual achievement was nice, but Chance said he’s focused on continuing to improve, a lesson he took from Smith’s successful career.

“He always says work as hard as you can and that’s what I try to do because I do have a disadvantage with my size,” Chance said.

Dareyon Chance

The junior from Lauderhill, Fla. doesn’t have the prototypical running back size, but he seems to use that as an advantage.

Against the Golden Gophers Chance hid behind his offensive linemen and picked up a handful of yards before being spotted. Then, he put his athleticism to work with a well-timed juke or cut for a few more yards.

Chance is the physically smallest of WMU’s four running backs, but coach Bill Cubit said Chance has been the only one to prove himself worthy to carry the load.

Cubit said after WMU’s win over Eastern Illinois Chance would get a chance to carry the ball more and after the Minnesota game Cubit said the starting role is Chance’s to lose.

The Broncos’ other three running backs, Tevin Drake, Antoin Scriven and Brian Fields, have fumbled at least once already this season. Chance has not.

“We play the best guys,” Cubit said. “We really feel Chance gives us the best chance. We think Brian is No. 2. We think he gives us a chance. Antoin will probably have a bigger role. It may not be running the ball. It’s a downhill physical running game and these guys give us the best chance.”

Said Chance: “I think I’m taking advantage of the opportunity I’m given. If I end up starting, or the No. 2 guy coming off the bench, I’m going to give my best effort every week.”

“They play very fast, so one play-action or one move we give them they might fly over it where I might be able to get a cutback or get through a crease because I’m still going to be hiding behind the same linemen,” Chance said of his thoughts on facing the Huskies’ defense.

UConn is tough up front and at the second level as sophomore linebacker Yawin Smallwood is the reigning Big East Defensive Player of the Week after recording 14 tackles, two-and-a-half sacks and a forced fumble in a win over Maryland.

Chance was not stopped for a loss against Minnesota and part of the reason for that was the offensive line’s ability to control the line of scrimmage.

Senior right tackle Dann O’Neill said UConn’s defensive line was one of the best WMU faced last season and despite a few roster changes and the recent injury of UConn senior defensive end Jesse Joseph, who is lost for the season, O’Neill said the Huskies present a big challenge.

“It’s going to be a battle in the trenches again,” he said. “That’s what linemen look forward to all season. It’s going to be great. We’re going to have a good crowd out there. Hopefully, we can give them a good show.

Dann O'Neill

“You have to get in and watch all the film you can. Some of us guys were talking about that. You just have to watch the extra film. You have to go home and think football and dream football. It’s a big game. You just have to prepare.”

Western Michigan defeated UConn 38-31 last season mainly by throwing the ball all over the field. With a receiving corps that has yet to find its stride, the Broncos will have to turn to more to their ground game.

O’Neill said the offensive line will be ready as they remain hungry to open up running lanes and feed off a frustrating loss to a BCS-level team the Broncos feel they should have beat last week.

“You have to approach it like it’s any other game,” O’Neill said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s a Big Ten team, a Pac-12 team or whoever, you have to prepare more. You’re always hungry for that big victory and you just have to prepare.

“Believing and achieving are two very different things. We’re a pretty level-headed group of guys. We lost (to Minnesota) so it really doesn’t matter what we did. Watching the film you see this play or that play where if we could have held a block for another tenth of a second Dareyon Chance would have busted it for 40 yards instead of four. It feels great (to run the ball) after airing it out for the past two years, but it doesn’t matter. It’s on to the next game.”